Immigration is complex, but following laws isn't

As someone who works for immigrants, particularly asylum seekers, I am deeply dismayed by the attitude of the president. I work with a non-profit that serves immigrants. We do so within the laws of the United States. The people we serve also live with those laws. Some are as young as three years old.

Why are they here? They seek refuge from conditions that none of us, despite our personal views on immigration, would stay in. We, too, would be seeking safety if the conditions here mirrored what happens in these countries.

The topic of immigration is complex and confusing; the laws of our country that control asylum outline very specific requirements that a person must meet to qualify. Numerous regulations and laws define how asylum can be applied for and how it can be granted. People applying are at the mercy of these laws and the people who administer them. If they don’t qualify they will most likely be deported. Even a three-year-old kid.

I personally don’t agree with all the asylum laws and regulations but I do follow them, and they guide me in serving my clients.

What dismays me is a president who is either ignorant of or opposed to these laws and who thinks he can violate them with impunity. That is not a reflection of the country I was brought up in.

Ray Garrido, Olalla

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